Race starting barrier



T. c. RUSH 2,24,879

RACE STARTING BARRIER Filed Nov. 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNV-ENTOR df ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to starting barriers for race tracks and has for the primary object the provision of a device of the above stated character which may be easily and quickly mounted to the fence or guard rail at each side of the race track and at any selected place with respect to the race track.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a self contractible barrier element detachably connected to carriages mounted to upwardly inclined converging tracks or supports so that when said carriages are released from a given position, they will be caused to travel to the upper ends of the tracks or supports by the contracting action of the barrier element and thereby position the latter clear of the horses and the riders.

A further object of the invention is the provision of latching means for the carriages at the given position on the tracks or supports and which are simultaneously released through a manually controlled electrical means.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation partly in section illustrating a barrier mounted to the fences or guard rails located at the sides of a race track.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing one of the carriages mounted to the track or support of the barrier and held in a given position by a latch means releasable by a manually controlled electrical means.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a shock absorbing means for the carriage when nearing its uppermost position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral l indicates a race track having located at opposite sides guard rails or' fences 2 to which my invention is mounted. Tracks or supports 3 have secured thereto supporting arms 4 equipped with clamps 5 for detachably securing the tracks or supports to the fences or guard rails 2 or to a movable carriage forming the subject matter of my application filed May '7, 1934, and Serial No. 724,428. The arms 4 are disposed angularly to .and has integral therewith opposing and spaced the tracks 01' supports so that the latter will be supported in an upwardly inclined position and converge in the direction of their upper ends. Each track or support is of channel iron construction with its open side disposed towards the track 5 flanges t to be engaged by rollers 1 of a carriage 8. It is to be understood that each track or support is equipped with a carriage and each carriage consists of pairs of relatively spaced rollers journaled to a member 9 carrying at one end a tapering keeper til operable between the flanges 6. The member 9 also carries a shank ll operable between the flanges 6 to which is secured a hook l2 having a bill portion l3 to which is pivoted a safety element Id. The element [4 has angularly related portions so that when a barrier element I5 is connected thereto one of the angularly related portions parallels the bill portion while the other angularly related portion closes the space between the body of the hook and the :0 bill portion preventing accidental detachment of the barrier element therefrom. However, the safety element i4 is adapted to release the barrier element from the hooks should said barrier element be engaged with force by a horse or rider. To accomplish this the open side of the hook is faced in the direction in which the horses are to proceed over the track. The barrier element is constructed from a suitable elastic material so that when applied to the carriages regardless of 30 their position upon the tracks or supports it will be under considerable tension. The barrier element at its ends is provided with loop elements It to engage the bill portions of the hooks upon the carriages. 35

Casings H are carried by the tracks or supports and have located therein pivoted latch elements l8 to engage the keepers It for retaining the carriages at a given position on the tracks or supports and in a position for supporting the barrier element at a proper height for the starting of a race. Pivoted armatures [9 are carried by the casings H to engage the latch elements l8 for retaining the latter in position to engage the keepers and arranged adjacent the armatures and within the casing are electro-magnets 20 connected in a suitable electric circuit having a control switch 2! whereby upon the energization of the magnets the armatures will be moved away from the latch elements I8 freeing the 50 latter for pivotal movement and consequently disengaging the keepers and, due to the contractible action of the barrier, the carriages will be caused to travel to the upper ends of the tracks 5 orsupports and thereby position the barrier element to permit the horses and riders to pass thereunder without danger of coming in contact with the barrier element. If desired suitable shock absorbing means 21 may be located at the upper ends of the tracks or supports to retard the movement of the carriages as they reach the upper portion of thetracks or supports. ,The shock absorbing means may be in the form, as shown in Figure 5, or any other construction suitable for the purpose. The form shown in Figure consists of a plate 22 pivoted, as at 23, and normally positioned in the path of the carriage by a spring 24 so that on the carriage engaging the plate, the momentum of the carriage will be checked by the spring, bringing the carriage to a gradual stop when reaching the upper end of the support or track.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A race track barrier comprising upwardly inclined converging supports each of channel iron construction having the open sides thereof disposed opposite a race track, opposing spaced guide flanges formed on said supports at the open lower ends of the supports, pivotal latch elements carried by the casings to engage the keepers, pivotal armatures carried by said casings to engage the latc h elements to releasably retain the lat ter in engagement with the keepers, manually controlled'electrical means for simultaneously attracting the armatures to release the latch elements from said keepers and thereby free the carriages for upwardmovement on the supports by influence 'onthe'barrier elements-andshock absorbirig means carried bysaid supports and.- engaged by the carriages during their movements upwardly'and acting to restrain the said carriages-25 as they near'the'upper end'of the supports.

TURNER CrRUSH. 

